Celebrations of events like ‘Earth Day’ certainly help to raise awareness regarding the need to care for the planet’s health. The Earth, of course, has been itself evolving over billions of years (4.5 billion years approximately), and did not always have the hospitable environment it has now. The most extreme events have taken place, such as volcanic eruptions, mass extinctions, and ‘drastic climate shifts’. In contrast, the ancestors of humans came into existence only some 2.4 million years ago – just a blip in the planet’s history.
However, it is perhaps for the first time that the actions of human beings are causing a change in the life-sustaining environment of the Earth – to the extent that it could threaten the very survival of humanity. Already, climate change has impacted people adversely around the world with drastically increasing temperatures, change in rain and weather patterns, rise in sea levels, melting of glaciers, desertification, and deforestation, to name a few. It is all being attributed to human activity that increases carbon dioxide levels and reduces the ability of the planet to dissipate heat. The ozone layer has been considerably damaged by the fallout of industrial activity and unsustainable consumption levels. Matters are made worse by the enormous outflow of non-biodegradable and toxic waste that is destroying flora and fauna necessary for a healthy environment.
It is not that Humanity has been unaware of this problem or has not been taking the necessary steps to adopt more sustainable practices. Unfortunately, the momentum of the past is great and, while the developed nations have technically the wherewithal to adopt eco-friendly technologies in all aspects of life, there are still many parts of the world in a stage of development where the priority is to provide the very basics with whatever means available. These countries need a major assist from wealthy nations to transform their economies. Unfortunately, these are also the countries most afflicted by war and sectarian conflicts, and any transformation is an enormous challenge.
The problem is made worse by the emergence of climate change deniers who believe that adopting new ways is uncalled for. This class of people are now in power in the United States, a nation that is required to play a major role in providing scientific, technical and financial assistance to the cause. This poses a serious threat to the adaptive process. The path more available is for individuals everywhere to transform their own lives so as to burden the environment as little as possible. If enough people do that everywhere, it may ease the burden to the necessary extent on Mother Earth.
